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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Our return to the dark side

The so-called
“Pacific Solution” to Australia’s refugee issue is a fraud and a national
disgrace.

The politicians on both sides may have deluded
themselves into thinking that they really care about the refugees, but its
crap.

Their
objective has nothing to do with refugees – it’s all about getting re-elected.
It’s all about opinion polls.

The whole
issue hangs on two flawed assumptions:

We
are being inundated with boat people.

The
rest of the world wants to come and live in Australia.

Compared to
refugees around the world, the boats coming to Australia are an issue only to
the politicians and the journalists who feed on them. The numbers are just not
significant that is la verita.

That the
masses in Australia should be ignorant and parochial enough to think that “this
is the best little bloody place on earth” and therefore we must protect it from
being overrun by the hordes is only natural. For the politicians to join in
this delusion and feed it is unforgivable.

Very few
people in this world ever want to leave their home – that is la verita. Australia is a great place, but so is Disneyland.
They are great places to visit on holiday. But if you ask people from anywhere on earth
where they want to be, where they want to raise their children, you will soon
realise “there’s no place like home”.

That’s where
they were brought up, that’s where their parents were brought up and that’s
where their grandparents were brought up.

So don’t
worry Aussie’s, they are not all planning to come over here to steal your
telly.

We have some
of the most poverty stricken people on earth living just off our shores –
almost within swimming distance – but they are not piling on to boats to get to
“a better life” in Australia. They want to stay home.

Boat people
do not come from our near neighbours, they come from war zones.

If you really
want to stop refugees, focus your efforts and your resources on ending the
wars, and achieving the UN Millennium
Development Goals.

Now really,
why the hell do I have to write this stuff? What has happened to our
journalists?

I’m really
busy right now. I left newspapers 15 years ago. I am just recovering from the
flu and I was looking forward to having a nice easy day on the couch playing my
son’s Xbox.

Then this
morning, as our politicians are debating their “Pacific Solution” legislation
in Canberra, I hear Richard Towle, UNHCR Regional Representative for Australia,
New Zealand, PNG and the Pacific, reveal to Fran
Kelly that he hasn’t yet been consulted.

Talk about
ruin my day! I couldn’t fuckin’ believe it! What the fuck is going on!

Now the
legislation has just passed the House of Representatives – well hoo-fuckin-ray!

And
protesters have come out in the streets to object – well God bless them, but
they haven’t got a chance. They don’t understand the political forces, the
levels of delusion they are fighting against.

With no
leadership in Canberra, most journalists out to lunch or out of a job, and both
major parties now singing to the choir of xenophobia. the poor refugees haven’t
got a fuckin’ chance.

Let’s be
clear here, former Defence Force Chief Angus Houston may be an expert at
creating refugees but he is not an expert at dealing with them -- Richard Towle
is.

As Richard
told Fran this morning he had “some concerns” with the Gillard Government’s “Pacific
Solution”. Which is diplomatic speak for “it stinks”.

His idea of a
regional solution would involve raising the standards of treatment in the
region, not lowing Australia’s standards. That’s why he wasn’t consulted.

The fact is
torturing refugees is not the way to solve the problem. Nor is it the way to
thwart the people smugglers. The way you do that is make it safe for people to
stay home.

And as for
Tony Abbott singing the praises of the Howard solutions – and calling on the
Prime Minister to apologise for criticising them – I would like him to explain
to me why those responsible for implementing the Howard policies should not be
charged under The Crimes Act with child abuse.

As Richard
mentioned in passing this morning we are still trying to deal with the mental
illnesses caused by the Howard policies.

I still
shudder when I remember a child being returned to Wimmera Detention Centre
against the medical advice (and protests) from the government phychiatrist,
back in those dark days. Torturing refugees maybe a vote winner in this
country, particularly in some marginal electorates, but it is also a crime
against humanity.

I’m not a
lawyer, and I’m frankly too busy to look it up right now, but I would like Tony
to explain to me why members of the government can be exempt from child-abuse
laws – particularly given that the Immigration Minister is the legal guardian
of unaccompanied minors.

If this had
happened in Bosnia in the ‘90s, we would be pursuing them to the ends of the
earth. So why aren’t we charging all those who knowingly inflicted harm on
refugees, and all those public servants who sadly “were only following orders”.

That’s
enough, it’s time to start treating refugees like refugees. Don’t make me have
to tell you again.

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About Me

Leonard McDonnell is a writer (pronounced 'righter'). Wherever he sees wrong, he tries to make it right - by writing.
He has been a journalist for over 30 years. He has worked for The Sun News Pictorial, The Herald, The Age and The Sunday Age in Melbourne. He was a columnist for the Sunday Sun and the Herald Sun’s first Weekend Features Editor. Today he is a freelance journalist and speech writer specialising in the energy industry.
His book, "Siamo Dio: The Cuckoo's Egg" is available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F4WWY4I